Reasonably portable benches have existed for some time. These types of benches are primarily used in photography, observation, and/or hunting when the operator requires a steady surface. For example, in a hunting or photography application, when the target is a great distance away (potentially over several hundred yards), the operator requires an exceptionally steady and stable surface to perform the desired action. For example, if the operator is photographing wildlife at long distances and/or in low light situations, the operator must hold the camera very still in order to capture a crisp image. As another example, if the operator is hunting varmints, where shots routinely exceed several hundred yards, any movement could easily cause the operator to miss his/her target.
One such solution appears in FIG. 1a. This shooting bench permits a table 7, accessory tray 6, and forward gun rest 8 to pivot about a main telescoping supporting member 2. Additionally, the shooting bench provides a seat 9 mounted to the cross member 1 which is propped on legs 3 and 4. Although the seat may rotate about the main telescoping member 2, this requires substantial work on the part of the operator. The operator, at the least, must remove his/her weight from the legs 3 and 4, and either slowly “scoot” the seat 9 around, or stand completely up, step over the cross member 1 and rotate the seat 9 about the main telescoping member 2. Furthermore, because each of the parts pivotally rotate about the main telescoping member 2, the rotation of any part requires the loosening and tightening of clamps and/or bolts. This obviously takes a both a significant amount of time and effort. Furthermore, because each of the parts are rotationally non-rigid, they are not very stable especially relative to one another. Therefore movement/bending in one affects the others providing a significantly less rigid and stable bench.
Additionally, because the main telescoping member 2, is attached to a straight support bar 5 and the legs 3 and 4 (by virtue of cross member 1), there is no way for an operator to achieve a level shooting bench on sloping or otherwise unlevel or irregular ground. Additionally, because the seat 9 is attached to the main telescoping member 2 (by virtue of cross member 1), any movement from the operator is transferred to the table 7 and forward gun rest 8 which negatively effects stability.
Yet another deficiency of this shooting bench is it provides no means to elevate the operator above ground level. As discussed, shooting benches such as these are used for long distance targets. Sitting at ground level provides very limited visibility of the target (e.g. at extreme distances, even low growth can interfere with the operator's ability to see the target).
Finally, and one of the most serious deficiencies, the entire construction was not designed to maximize rigidity and minimize cantilevers. This drastically compromises the stability of the shooting bench. As alluded to, this design suffers from numerous cantilever design elements each making the design less stable and rigid. The legs 3 and 4, telescoping member 2, cross member 1, accessory tray 6, table 7, and forward gun rest 8 are all attached to the ground by at least one cantilevered bending element. As just one example, the operator's seat 9 has no less than five bending elements: cross member 1 connected to the telescoping member 2 which is then connected to ground by legs 3 and 4 and straight support bar 5.
A further disadvantage of such a design is the table 7, forward gun rest 8, and seat 9 all share the same telescoping member 2 as a support member; therefore, any disturbances in one are not only transmitted to the other but are AMPLIFIED. For example, a shift in the operator's weight on the seat 9 creates a disturbance in the table 7 that is significantly larger than the original disturbance because the shooting platform is approximately twice as far away from the legs 3 and 4 and straight support bar 5 as the cross member 1.
Additional examples of existing shooting benches are shown in FIGS. 1b and 1c. These have similar problems and design deficiencies as discussed above. Additionally, each of these have a cantilever design where the operator's seat is cantilevered off the main telescoping member without any additional support members for the operator's seat. Consequently, even very slight operator movements cause significant movement in the shooting table.
Another such shooting bench is shown in FIG. 2. Although this shooting bench does not integrate a seat directly into the main supporting members, it has many of the other deficiencies cited above such as: the operator must manually “scoot” his/her provided chair around the shooting bench; will not accommodate sloping or uneven ground; no way for the operator to gain elevation, and it still suffers from stability issues.
Also, as opposed to the shooting bench in FIG. 1, this shooting bench does not permit the operator to adjust the height of the table 15. This shooting bench requires specialized wheels 26 formed to ride along a specially formed track 11. Although the wheel 26 and track 11 method is a way to avoid having to adjust multiple clamps and/or bolts to rotate the table 15, it is easy for the operator to “de-rail” the wheels while repositioning. Also, should the track 11 or a wheel 26 become misaligned, the shooting bench may not rotate smoothly or at all.
Additionally, this shooting bench still does not provide sufficient stability for long range targets. The tricycle legs 12, 22, and 23 allow tipping of the entire shooting bench should the operator apply pressure or weight to one of the table's 15 forward corners. Also, the lack of cross-support members between the tricycle legs 12, 22, and 23 permits excessive bending and flexing further comprising stability and negatively effecting the operator's ability to maintain a steady view of the target.
In view of the shortcomings of existing equipment, there is a need for an ultra stable rotating platform that addresses these deficiencies.